While increasingly unfettered mobility is a normal part of modern life, it is desirable for those in positions of authority to assert a level of control over the mobility of those for whom they are responsible. Many social groups require the imposition of such mobility control, requiring that a level of authority be established and maintained between group members, for example the authority of a parent over a son or daughter within a family, the authority of an employer over an employee in a work environment, and the authority of a teacher over a student at a school. In consideration of safety or the law, teachers or parents may wish that children for whom they are responsible avoid certain locations or adhere to certain pre-defined routes on their way to and from school or other destinations. Employers, in an effort to enhance worker productivity, may wish to enforce schedules defining where employees should be at particular times during the work day.
The growing ubiquity of locatable mobile devices such as mobile telephones, cellular-enabled personal computers and GPS systems potentially provides those in positions of authority with at least the means to locate someone over whom they maintain authority. Regardless, independent minds, whether children or adults, are apt to consider controls placed on their mobility to be especially onerous and therefore may endeavor to hinder attempts to assert control or otherwise express their dissent. It would be desirable to provide an effective method for establishing and maintaining mobility control over a user of a locatable mobile device.